Ball testified in Manhattan Federal Court that he was indeed unexpectedly relocated in 2014 from his location near Cuomo's office to a desk on the remote 37th floor.

The move came after Percoco had left the governor's employ to work on his re-election campaign, Ball said.

“My initial reaction was surprise and anger," said Ball, who was Cuomo’s confidential assistant at the time. “I believed that I deserved an office on the 39th floor, and I believed that it was necessary for me and warranted for me, given my job and responsibility.

“The 39th floor was ... where the governor’s senior staff sat. Obviously there was some sort of prestige, for lack of a better word, associated with that, and that was where I wanted to be.”